ISO 9000 is a set of five quality
assurance standards composed of twenty elements. These standards are
documented agreements accepted worldwide through the national standards
institutes of some 130 member nations of the International
Organization for Standardization.
To facilitate the international
exchange of goods and services, the International Organization of
Standardization, based in Geneva, coordinates the system and
disseminates the Standards. Companies certified to ISO are guaranteed to
follow rigorous standards containing precise criteria and specifications
applied consistently to ensure that materials, products, processes, and
services meet a high level of quality.
ISO is not actually an acronym for The
International Organization for Standardization, though the term
"ISO" is used worldwide, regardless of language, to refer to
the organization and the Standards. ISO is actually derived from the
Greek word, 'isos" which means equal or the same - the same
standards of quality assurance are applied uniformly to all certified
companies regardless of industry, location, or size.
ISO 9000 was first published in 1987,
revised in 1994, and is now being revised again in the year 2000 to
incorporate improvements and provide for wider industry application. The
new version, ISO 9001:2000 is expected to be finalized by late fall of
2000.
ISO 9000 is a series of documents that
define and audit a company's systems to ensure quality consistency.
- ISO 9001 is for companies that
design/develop, produce, and distribute products or services.
- ISO 9002 is for companies that
produce and distribute products or services.
- ISO 9003 is for companies that only
distribute products or services.
ISO 14001 is the Environmental
Management Standard (EMS).
QS-9000 is for the automotive industry.
AS9000is for the aerospace industry.
